Welcome Home
by kygirlxx
Summary: Emma comes to Southfork to ask Ann and Bobby if she can stay. Collaboration with AnnieEwing.
1. Chapter 1

The blonde sat with her knees to her chest on the porch of the lit house, her body rocking back and forth. She was at Southfork Ranch, the last place she expected to be. Running to the two people in the world she never thought she would be even considering asking for help from. Help. She needed so much more than that. Emma needed a place to stay, a place to get away from her father and her grandmother. They were both filling her head with nothing but lies.

_"We will only be there a month, Emma.." Harris told the girl as he helped pack her bags._

A few weeks ago she would have been happy to leave at any time, but now... now things were different. She had met her mother, the woman she had never been acquainted with, the woman who abandoned her at the state fair when she was barely a year old. The woman who supposedly did not love her. Emma's head had been filled with so many lies that she could no longer dig out the truth anymore. All she knew was that her father and grandmother were forcing her to leave the country, and she was not leaving.

Pulling up in the driveway, Ann spotted something in the headlights of the Tahoe as she turned it off and stepped out, shutting the door behind her. Making her way to the front porch of the house ahead of her husband, it didn't take her long to notice that it wasn't something but someone. Her daughter, Emma.

Hearing a car door shut, the blonde jumped to her feet and shoved her hands into her jacket pockets as she rounded the corner and looked at the two figures getting closer by the second. Opening up her mouth, she tried to speak but nothing came out. Standing still, she looked back and forth between the two people, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Emma." The name came out as more of a statement than a question. "Are you okay?" A confused look began to play against the soft features of her face as she waited for an answer to her question. What was Emma doing there? How long had she been waiting for them? What was going on? Had their earlier horseback ride around Southfork helped to clear her head more than she had realized? Was this really happening? Was her little girl truly coming back to her?

It was a simple question, and yet she was still having trouble answering. Blinking a couple of times to stop the burning from the tears welling up, she took in a deep breath and clenched her fist in her coat pocket. "Can I stay?" She asked as she looked back and forth between her mother and stepfather. People she had never had a relationship with.

Hearing that her daughter wanted to stay with her there at Southfork caused Ann's heart to swell, and she couldn't hide the soft smile that began to tug at the corners of her lips as she nodded her head with her response to the question she had just been asked. "Welcome home." Her tone was full of genuine, unconditional love as she spoke, meaning every word. Southfork was Emma's home, just as much as it was her own. She was going to make sure that Emma understood that and never forgot.

Hearing those words, that voice, Emma felt instantly at ease, as if suddenly things would be okay. Even though she had run away from her home, gone to the one person she was told to stay away from, Emma was relieved. Before taking a single step, she looked over at Bobby for a moment, who was smiling at her, and then moved over to Ann, wrapping her arms around her and closing her eyes as she held on tightly. This was the first time she had ever truly hugged her mother, and the only time she felt fully protected.

Using her free arm to pull Emma close, Ann returned the tight hug, kissing the top of the younger girl's head as she ran a glove covered hand up and down the blonde's arm. Turning them back to face the front of the house, she did her best to keep her own fresh tears at bay, keeping her daughter as close to her side as possible as the trio made their way up to the front door and inside out of the cold.

Bobby grabbed the suitcase off of the porch steps and held the door open for the two, before following in behind them and heading upstairs to the guest bedroom. Emma stayed close to Ann's side, looking around the house, taking in every little detail about her home, her mother's home, her family's. Opening up her mouth, she began to stutter a bit, "I.. I am sorry to just... show up unexpectedly, but I... I didn't know what else to do..." She said as a few tears escaped and rolled down her cheeks.

Offering Bobby a grateful smile as she watched him disappear up the staircase, suitcase in hand, Ann turned her undivided attention back over to her daughter in front of her, listening to her slightly nervous ramble. "You did the right thing, Emma." Leading her into the living room, Ann sat down on the couch and waited for Emma to join her before she continued on. "Southfork will always be your home, no matter what. It will always be a place where you can come whenever you want to and stay whenever you need to." Becoming quiet for a minute, Ann hesitated before voicing the one question that had been on her mind ever since she had first realized who it was out there on her front porch steps. "What happened tonight?"

Emma smiled a little at her mother's reassurance about doing the right thing and nodded, some of her long locks falling down in front of her face. Tucking the hair behind her ear, she followed the tall, slender woman into the living room and sat down slowly and looked at the ground, listening to Ann tell her Southfork was her home as well. She took in a deep breath as she heard the question she had been expecting ever since she got into the car to drive over. "They... uhm," She spoke, looking down at her hands that were fidgeting, "My father and grandmother, well... they were sending me back to England tomorrow morning and..." She started to get choked up a bit just thinking about it. "I didn't want to leave- I didn't want to leave you..." Her blue hues looked up at the woman beside her as more tears fell.

Ann couldn't help but lightly smirk a little as she watched Emma tuck away a few loose strands of blonde hair behind her ear. There was absolutely no doubt that it was something that her daughter had inherited from her. If they had done it at the exact same time it would just like looking in a mirror. Upon hearing that Harris and Judith were preparing to send Emma back to London that very next morning though, she froze. The earlier smirk was quickly wiped away, and a concerned frown had almost instantly taken its place. They must have found out about Emma's earlier visit to Southfork to see her, and it didn't surprise Ann in the least. She only wished that she could spare her little girl all of that cruel anger and hurt that they had inflicted on her over the years. Maybe now was her chance to do exactly that. "You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to go. If you want to stay here in Dallas, I'll make sure that happens, whatever it takes."

Emma let out the deep breath she was holding and wrapped her own arms around her body, leaning forward and hiding behind the long strands of hair. Tears came flooding, out and she did her best to silence them, but her attempt was uneffective. "I'm scared of him..." She whispered as she tried to calm herself down, but it was too late. She could already feel a panic attack beginning to arise. Her breathing became shorter and quicker, and she covered her face, not wanting to have an episode in front of Ann.

Emma's whispers were so soft and quiet that at first Ann wasn't sure if she had heard her correctly or not. Once the words hit her, they did so like a ton of bricks. For once in her life, Ann was speechless. No child should ever have to be afraid of their father, but hers was. And having thought that she was dead or God only knew what for all those years, her mother hadn't been around to shield her and protect her from any of Harris' issues. Or Judith's, for that matter. Knowing that words from a woman she barely even knew more than likely wouldn't help very much, despite the fact that she was her mother, Ann did the next best thing she could think of. She ignored the possible repercussions and pulled the blonde in for a comforting hug. When that didn't seem to be calming her down, she pulled away a little bit, looking the girl in the eyes. "Are you sure that's all that's going on, you not wanting to go against your father's wishes but not wanting to go back to London tomorrow either?"

Emma closed her eyes, breathing in and out through her nose, feeling the attack begin to hit her hard. The hug that she received from her mother was something she appreciated greatly, but it was not the solution she needed. Her breathing started to become scarce, body began to jerk a bit, and she pulled away, shaking her head and placing her hand on her throat as she dug through her purse, practically throwing almost everything on the ground as she searched. Pulling out her rescue inhaler, she took off the cap quickly and placed it in her mouth, inhaling the medicine and repeating the same action again until she was able to breathe. The girl shook her head fiercely back and forth before looking at Ann, "I don't care if I go against his wishes." She said softly, as she caught her breath, "I..." She looked at Ann for a moment before returning her gaze back to the ground, "I'm so sick of being brainwashed. I'm tired of being lied to. I mean, he lied about you. He told me countless amounts of times that you didn't love me.. that you hated me. And I'm so sorry I was rude to you that first day..." Emma said running her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry I perjured myself on the stand and..." Tears streamed down her face like a waterfall, "I'm scared of not only him, but her as well. They'd kill me if I said anything negative about them or did anything... like this..." She trailed off as she looked back at Ann, "Please don't make me go back? Please?" Her voice began to crack, "I've dreamed about this moment for so long, but I just didn't have anyone to run to before. Please, Mom?"

On the outside, Ann painted the perfect picture of a concerned mother who only wanted to do what was best for her daughter, no matter what that entailed. On the inside though, she was the exact opposite. She was an emotional wreck. Half of her was sympathetic beyond belief, knowing exactly what her daughter was going through with her father and grandmother. The other half of her was more than pissed at those same two people. History seemed to be repeating itself, and Ann didn't know how much more of it she would be able to take before she snapped again. This time though, she couldn't use her gun. She had to find another way to beat Harris and Judith at their sick and twisted little games. Eventually she would, for Emma. All of that would have to wait though, because right now she was more concerned about the fact that her daughter had gotten herself so worked up about her current situation that she had needed to pull a rescue inhaler out of her purse. Then again, she realized that not informing her of her daughter's medical issues was typical Harris. Hell, Emma could have had a debilitating disease, and she wouldn't even put it past Harris not to mention it to her until it was too late and there was nothing she could possibly do to help. Unfortunately not sure how to help Emma calm down, Ann waited somewhat impatiently for the inhaler to kick in before softly biting down on her bottom lip as she listened to the blonde's list of apologies. "Hey, it's okay. You're not going anywhere. I promise you that. You're home, right where you belong." Fresh tears began to sting at her own eyes as Emma calling her Mom for the very first time began to play over and over again in her head. "Come on, why don't we get you upstairs so you can get some rest? We can look at this with a fresh pair of eyes in the morning. I'm sure Bobby has the guest room all set up and ready for you now."

Emma began to calm down as she listened to the woman tell her she didn't have to go back. It was such a relief. The girl was practically shaking because she was scared Ann was going to give her back to her father and grandmother. Nodding her head, she collected her things that were scattered and placed them back into her purse. "Uh.. can you keep this extra one in case I can't find mine?" She asked, handing her another inhaler before standing to her feet and following the woman slowly up the staircase. As she walked into the guest room, she smiled a little as she looked around at all the decorations. Horses, her favorite animal, were in every picture hanging from the wall. Making her way to the bed, she opened up her suitcase and pulled out her pajamas and then began to dig around for her medication, getting a little frantic because she could not find it and she could have swore she packed it. Just the thought of having to go back to that house because she forgot it gave her major anxiety. But then again, she had a lot of stuff in the bulky container so she could have easily been overlooking it.

Standing up from the couch, Ann nodded as she accepted the extra inhaler to put away for safekeeping before guiding Emma up the staircase and down the long hallway to one of the guest bedrooms. Noting Bobby's absence upon entering, she figured he had more than likely already retired to bed himself, wanting to allow his wife and her daughter some time by themselves to catch up on some things and get to know each other a little bit better. After all, their mother/daughter reunion had been a long time coming, and Ann was very grateful to her husband for being an instrumental part of helping to make that happen. "As you can see, you have your own bathroom right here next to your room. There should be enough fresh towels, but if you need an extra toothbrush or anything, let me know. If you get hungry or thirsty in the night, the kitchen is downstairs to the right. Whatever you find in the refrigerator is yours. And please don't worry about waking anyone up if you can't sleep. Most of us are pretty sound sleepers around here." She began to ramble a little bit, not sure what else she should tell Emma about before she left her alone to get ready for bed. Watching as Emma seemed to become more focused on frantically digging through the contents of her suitcase than listening to Ann's long list of important rooms in the house, she crossed the floor over to the bed from her current place in the doorway, gently resting a hand on Emma's shoulder, "Is there anything I can help you look for?" Her tone was a mixture of half concern and half confusion as she spoke.

Emma was of course happy to be where she was, safe and sound with Ann, but she was terrified. She had never done anything like this before, and she knew her father and grandmother's tempers. She was sure that they had already guessed where her location was, but she didn't know what they were capable of. Jumping a little when feeling the hand on her shoulder, she was quickly brought back into reality as she listened to her mother's question. "My.. medicine, I have to have my medicine." She said quickly as she continued to dig around. "Oh my god..." She whispered, praying to herself that she had not left it behind. "They'll kill me if I go back..." She said to herself as she began to work herself up again. Emma was all over the place. She was having one, long, drawn out breakdown involving panic attacks.

Feeling Emma's thin frame suddenly jerk underneath her hand, Ann quickly removed it and let it fall back down to her side. "Your medicine?" Once again, that same look of confusion began to cloud her face. "What's it for, if you don't mind me asking? We might already have some or something like it here in the medicine cabinet." She wanted to help search the suitcase through a second time, but she also didn't want to start going through Emma's personal things, a place where she probably wouldn't be welcome for a while. Grabbing Emma's hands with her own, Ann turned her so that the two were facing one another. "Listen to me. Nobody's killing anyone, and you're not going back there, at least not tonight. If we don't have what you need, I'll send Bobby out to the pharmacy. Or back to...your house if you need that exact prescription." She hesitated when it came to calling the Rylands' Emma's home, already feeling as if Southfork was more of one than that place ever possibly could be. The Ewings would love and protect her, while the Rylands would love and control her. "The only place that you're going right now is to bed." Picking the pair of pajamas up off the bed, Ann held them out for Emma to take into the bathroom with her to change into.

"I get really bad anxiety and panic attacks. The medication is supposed to stop it, but they sometimes don't work... hence the inhaler." She trailed off as she continued to search through the bag. Emma stopped as she felt Ann grab her hands and she looked her in the eyes, letting her own hands hold tightly onto her mother's. Nodding her head up and down, she bit her lower lip and took the pajamas into her hands, "Okay..." She whispered, nodding her head as she slowly walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her once she was inside. Turning on the light, she quickly changed, pulled her long, blonde hair back into a high ponytail. and splashed some cold water on her face.

Panic attacks, so it wasn't as bad as she had originally thought. That was a plus. As soon as Emma had left the room, Ann turned her attention to the mess that currently littered the bed. Folding up the clothes that had been tossed about, she returned all but one to their proper places in the suitcase. Holding the shirt in her hands, she brought it up to her nose, taking in her daughter's scent. It wasn't long until her eyes began to betray her, and she was forced to steady herself by sitting down on the edge of the bed. Doing her best to keep her sobs quiet and not alert Bobby or Emma, she let out a few shaky breaths, trying to calm herself. There was so much of her daughter's life that she had been forced to miss out on, despite the fact that back then she hadn't been sure that she was even ready for the responsibilities of being a young mother in the first place, and it was suddenly all flooding back and hitting her at once. She was hoping against hope that this would be a chance for the two of them to start fresh with each other, but that didn't mean that it hurt any less. She would never forgive her ex-husband and his mother for what they did to her and how much they made her suffer. Ever. Hearing Emma finishing up in the bathroom, Ann quickly wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffling a couple of times as she cleaned up the rest of the mess and repacked the suitcase as best she could.

Emma looked into the mirror after washing off her face and took in a few deep breaths before opening up the door. She stopped in her tracks, seeing the older woman crying, and closed the door quietly once more. The blonde felt terrible for what her father had put her mother through. She felt so sorry for her. Emma herself began to cry a little, knowing that the two had missed out on so much time together. She hated to see the woman so upset, and she didn't know what to do to make it better. Flushing the toilet, she opened up the door a little more noisier this time and walked out, her dirty clothes neatly folded in a stack. She glanced towards her suitcase and smiled a little, seeing that Ann had folded everything back up and moved it to the ground before turning towards the taller woman. "Thank you...for everything." She said softly as she walked over, a little hesitant on the inside, and hugging the woman tightly.

"You can just put those over here for right now." Ann suggested, offering to take Emma's neatly folded dirty clothes and sat them over on the top of the vanity for the time being. Adjusting the pillows and pulling the covers back a little bit, she moved out of the way so that Emma could get in the bed and make herself comfortable. "You don't have to thank me. It's what mothers are for." A small smile returned to her face, and her eyes seemed the smallest bit brighter as she returned the hug, finally and somewhat reluctantly pulling away after a couple of moments. "Is there anything else that you need before you go to sleep, besides your medicine? A glass of water or warm milk, or something?" Part of her couldn't wait to learn all of the smaller details about Emma, especially the ones, like the tucking the hair behind the ear, that she had obviously inherited from her mother.

Emma took in her mother's scent as she rested her head in the crook of her neck and held onto her lightly, but still firm. It was calming, soothing, it made her feel at peace. Pulling back, she folded her arms across her chest and shook her head, "No, I'm fine, thank you." She said as she got into the bed slowly and pulled the covers over herself.

Allowing Emma to get situated in the bed and make herself comfortable, Ann couldn't stop herself from helping to tuck her in a little bit. After all, she had almost twenty years to make up for. She was determined to prove to her daughter that she was a good mother and the total opposite of everything her father and grandmother had attempted to drill into her head over the years. No matter what happened and what it took, Ann was going to love, support, and care for Emma like it was the last thing she would ever do on Earth. Kissing the top of her head, Ann moved to turn the bedside table lamp off when she spotted something on the floor, just underneath the bed. "I think I just found the solution to our problem." She bent down to grab the bottle of medicine and was about to hand it over to Emma when she realized what the prescription was for. Once again, history seemed to be repeating itself. It was all about control when it came to the Ryland family, wasn't it?

Emma smiled whenever she felt the kiss on her head and watched quietly as Ann tucked her in, something that she had not had done for her in years. Watching her pull up the bottle from the floor, she felt a weight lifted off her shoulders. "Oh, thank god." She said as she reached her hand out for the bottle but then tilted her head, eyebrows arched whenever she saw Ann yank them back.

Ann just stood there in silence for a couple of minutes, debating in her mind over how to explain what she was about to have to explain. She wanted to show Emma that she was the opposite of her father, that she wouldn't lie to her like he constantly did. Sighing softly to herself, she looked back and forth between her daughter and the bottle of pills a couple of times before allowing her gaze to finally come to rest on the blonde curled up in the bed. "I understand that this is the last thing you want to hear right now, and I know that there's a chance you might not believe me, but I don't think that anxiety and panic attacks are the only thing these pills are for." She started off slow, not wanting to hit Emma with the whole truth full force just yet.

Emma was very confused, and her face showed it. "What are you talking about?" She asked as she tucked her hair behind her ears in a nervous habit and looked at the pill bottle. Why would her father and grandmother give her any other kind of medication- how could a doctor give her something else? She had to take them every single day, twice a day. She felt a drop in her stomach as she was scared to find out what other things the pill was used for, feeling even more afraid. She didn't want to believe she had been drugged, but the look on Ann's face was not helping her mixed feelings.

The last thing that Ann wanted to do was cause Emma to become even more upset and confused, especially after everything she had already been through earlier that evening. Then again, the history of Ann's past had already been basically handed to everyone in the courtroom on a silver platter, or at least certain half true versions of it anyway, so it wasn't like her daughter didn't already know all of the horrible details. Still, that didn't make it any easier for her to talk about. Glancing over at the nearest clock, Ann made the quick decision to use the current time to her advantage. "It's getting late, and the last thing you need is to have your schedule all messed up while you're still trying to get used to being in a new place. How about we table this discussion until in the morning?" She offered Emma a warm smile as she bent down to kiss the top of her head one more time. "Bobby and I will be right down the hall if you need anything. Get some rest, Darlin'."

Emma bit down on her lower lip as she looked at the bottle of medication in Ann's hand and then listened carefully to her words. Agreeing with her that it was just too late to take the pills, she nodded and smiled a little as she felt her mother kiss the top of her head once more. "Thank you," her words came out quietly as she adjusted herself in the bed and laid her head down on the pillow, as she watched the tall woman turn off the light and close the door behind her. Taking in a deep breath, she looked around the dark room and quickly stood to her feet, going over to the window and making sure it was locked before climbing back into the bed. Pulling the covers over her slender body more, she basically barricaded herself, before closing her eyes and forcing herself to go to sleep.

Ann stood in silence outside the bedroom door for a minute, just needing a little time to herself to take everything in. It had all happened so fast. One minute Emma didn't want to have anything to do with her, but now here she was wanting to know if she could stay with her. Half of Ann was overjoyed by the fact that her daughter was finally back in her life and willing to give her another chance, but the other half of her was pissed off about everything that Judith and Harris had put in her head, especially when it came to the pills. That medicine had been a big part of her own downfall, and she wanted to stop history from repeating itself before it did the exact same thing to her daughter. She needed to. Finally stepping away from the door, she padded down the hallway to her own room, not surprised to see that her husband was still awake and waiting for her. Sending a grateful smile in his general direction, she grabbed her pajamas and made her way into their bathroom to quickly change and brush her teeth before joining Bobby in bed.

Bobby's eyes fell upon Ann as she entered the room, and he returned the smile to his wife before watching her disappear behind the closed bathroom door. He had spoken to Emma several times before, but the last thing he was expecting from the girl was for her to end up on his porch steps. Still, it was no problem. He wanted his wife to have a relationship with her daughter. Hell, that's why he took the fall for Ann when she shot Harris. Emma could stay in his home however long she wanted. After all, she was his stepdaughter. Helping the woman into the bed, he wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to her cheek before looking into her hues. "Some surprise, huh?" He asked before sighing, "How's she doing?"

Snuggling up against her husband's warm body as soon as she was in the bed and under the covers, Ann let out a small, soft sigh of relief as he moved to kiss her on the cheek. She was finally right where she needed to be after everything that had been going on, safe and protected in the arms of the one man who loved her more than anything else in the world. "You can say that again." Ann repositioned herself in Bobby's arms to face him a little bit better before responding to the second part of his question. "Harris and Judith have her so messed up that she doesn't even know if she's comin' or goin', Bobby." Her eyes averted their gaze from his, and she found herself fidgeting with the edges of the bed sheets. "They have her on pills just like the ones that I was forced to take all those years ago. She thinks they're for anxiety and panic attacks, but there's so much more to it than that. And to make matters worse, she absolutely refuses to go back to that house for even the smallest of reasons, because she's afraid of Harris and what he might do to her if he ever found out that she'd rather stay here with us." There was no doubt in Ann's mind that Harris would either be calling her or just showing up at Southfork sometime the next day in search for their daughter, wanting her back. Much like Bobby, Ann never went out looking for a fight, but if that did happen, she was more than prepared and ready to give her poor excuse for an ex-husband the fight of his damn life.

Bobby listened to his wife list out the many factors that had brought the young girl to their doorstep and shook his head back and forth in disgust. Never in his life had he wanted to kill someone so much. Harris Ryland was a prick. He was scum, and he did not deserve anything he had, nor did that mother of his. "You mean they have her on sedatives?" Bobby asked in disbelief, "Oh my God." He said as he rubbed his hand up and down the blonde's back as he continued to listen. "She needs to know that we won't let Harris touch her. Hell, I won't let him anywhere near this property. I'd like to see him try." Bobby shook his head and looked at Ann. "Everything is going to be fine, Annie. We will get that son of a bitch, don't worry."


	2. Chapter 2

The sunlight came through the small openings of the blinds and cascaded upon Emma's sleeping face. Her eyes opened slowly and reluctantly until they were wide. Looking around the unfamiliar room, she bit her lower lip as she pushed herself up in the bed, running her fingers through her hair that had fallen out of the ponytail in the middle of the night. Here she was, at the Southfork Ranch, in her mother's home, not getting off a plane in London, England with her father and grandmother. No, Emma had escaped. Pulling the covers off of her slender body slowly, she threw her legs over the edge and placed her feet flat on the cold, hardwood floor before walking over to the bathroom, closing the door behind her and turning on the light.

Shutting the refrigerator door, Bobby got out some fresh fruit he wanted to eat that morning and placed it on the chopping board. Pulling open a few drawers, he finally found the knife he was looking for and took it out before being stopped.

"No, no, let me do that." Carmen chimed in as she took the knife and gently slapped away at his hand before returning to making breakfast.

"Okay, okay!" Bobby said laughing as he picked up his mug of coffee and went over to sit down at the table, joining Ann. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he sat down slowly, studying his wife's face. "Things are going to be fine. Today is a new day, a time for new beginnings." He said as he took her hand into his own and squeezed lightly before taking a sip of the hot liquid.

The steam flooded out once the door was opened and covered the room as she stepped out of the shower. Emma dried off with the towel outside the shower door and wrapped it around her body. Taking her pink handled hair brush, she got the knots out of her long, blonde hair before brushing her teeth. Blow drying her hair out, she made sure it laid perfectly straight before putting away her equipment into her suitcase, which had been neatly reorganized by Ann. Her eyes fell upon all the items as she looked through her many articles of clothing before settling on a pair of jeans and white sweater. Once she was dressed, she went back to the bathroom and applied her makeup. She didn't wear much, but it was just enough to cover blemishes. Her morning routine was finally done, and now that she was really looking into the mirror, she was actually seeing herself this time. Taking in a deep breath, she tucked her sweater into her jeans before slipping on her nice boots and spraying herself down with her favorite perfume. "You can do this, Emma..." She whispered to herself as she opened the door slowly and peeked out into the hallway in both directions, making sure no one was around.

Ann sat at the breakfast table, her eyes fixated on the bottle of pills in her hand. She'd read over the label so many times that she'd almost had it memorized. Why was Emma being forced to take these, and how could she convince her to permanently stop? She'd have to do it without making Harris and Judith look like complete and utter monsters, that much was for sure. The last thing she wanted was to end up turning her daughter against her as well. She couldn't let Emma believe that she was the same as her father, willing to bad mouth and lie about the other in a split second. No, she had to find another way, and she had to do it fast. For all she knew, her ex-husband was already on his way over to try and win their daughter back. Her life could once again be completely turned upside down within a matter of minutes, but she wasn't about to let that happen. Not this time.

Feeling the kiss to her forehead caused Ann to jump a little, the pill bottle almost falling out of her hands. Setting it down on the table in front of her, she turned her attention to her husband, offering him a grateful smile as she listened to his words. "I know, you're right. I just can't help thinkin'..." She slowly began to trail off, taking a second to clear all of the unnecessary thoughts from her mind. "You're right." Looking around the room, her smile began to fade into a soft frown after a minute. "Emma should be up by now. Maybe I should go check on her and make sure she's alright."

Bobby looked at her and sighed, shaking his head a little, "I'm sure she will be down soon, Annie. Just make sure you don't hover." He said, squeezing her hand once more before looking at the newspaper in front of him. He began to get lost in the latest stories, both local and nationwide, his coffee held to his mouth as he practically drank the entire cup in one gulp. Meanwhile upstairs, Emma was walking down the hallway slowly, her eyes wandering across the walls that were covered in decorations and pictures of her mother and the rest of the Ewing family. They all looked so happy, so in love, together. Tucking the blonde hair behind her ear, she held onto the banister as she made her way down the staircase, only to stop when she heard her name from the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, she quickly went down the steps and walked slowly to the entrance of the kitchen where Carmen spotted her.

"Ah, good morning, Amiga! Are you hungry? How about some pancakes?" She asked as she placed an arm around Emma and led her to the table. "Sit! Sit! You need to fatten up a bit, darling. You and your momma are both like twigs!" She said shaking her head as she went back over to the stove.

Emma watched the woman walk away, still not quite sure who she was, and laughed a little nervously, "Uh- no, no. I'm good. Can I just get an apple?" She asked as she turned around fully in her seat, only to find Ann and Bobby staring at her. Smiling, Emma tilted her head to the side, "Morning.." She said awkwardly as her eyes dropped to the table where the pill bottle was sitting and she let her fingers play with the hem of her shirt.

Ann had a million and two different questions running through her head as she watched Emma sit down and join them at the table. Bobby's earlier words about not hovering began to echo through her mind, and she softly bit down at her bottom lip, silently debating over which ones she should voice and which ones weren't as vital. "Were you able to sleep alright last night?" Ann questioned her daughter, quickly grabbing at the pill bottle, hoping against hope that Emma hadn't noticed them as Carmen made her way over to the table, freshly washed and polished apple in hand. She knew that the blonde forgetting about them entirely would be a little too easy.

Emma smiled and took the apple from Carmen, "Thank you, very much." She spoke softly as she grabbed a napkin and placed it in her lap, her attention turning to Ann as she heard the question. "I slept fine." She said, shrugging her shoulders, "My medicine usually helps knock me out, so it was a little hard not being able to have a helper." She said as she took a bite into the piece of fruit and wiped her mouth off. Once she had finished chewing the bite, she ran her fingers through the long mane, shaking it out before glancing to the bottle Ann was clutching.

Ann's eyes followed Emma's, and it was obvious that she'd been caught. Emma had seen the medicine, but so far neither one of them had bothered to speak up and actually say anything about it. Taking that as a good sign, she glanced over at her husband. "The morning news will still be here later." She grabbed the newspaper from his hands, placing it down across from her on the kitchen table. "Is there anything special you'd like to do today?"

Bobby watched as the newspaper was taken out of his hands, and he sighed, smirking a little as he placed his coffee cup down on the table. "Oh me?" He replied sarcastically, giving Emma a funny look before returning his attention to his wife. "I was just going to work around the ranch today, but how sweet of you to ask." Smiling, he laughed a bit and shook his head, looking back at the younger blonde. "She was asking you, Emma."

Emma smiled as she watched Bobby joke around, and took another bite out of her apple before shaking her head. "No, I don't want to be a bother. I'm fine just hanging out and maybe tending to some of the horses?" She asked, shrugging her shoulders as she finished up the piece of fruit before wrapping the core in the napkin and neatly folding it closed.

"That's nice, Honey." Ann shot Bobby a look, resisting the urge to pick up the newspaper and playfully smack him in the arm with it. Doing her best to not start lightly laughing, she softly shook her head with her response to Emma's comment. "Trust me, you're not a bother. But helping to look after some of the horses actually sounds like a perfect idea. We could use another hand or two." Who knew, maybe they'd even take another horseback ride around Southfork. Maybe Bobby could join them this time and show Emma around the land a little bit more.

Emma smiled as her idea was praised, and she nodded her head, "Okay." Looking at the napkin, she took it in her hands and stood to her feet, "Well, I'm going to go on out, if that's okay?" She asked as she walked to the trash can and threw away the napkin. Bobby nodded his head and waved his hand, "You go ahead. I'm going to teach Annie how to be a more concerned wife." He said, smirking as he took hold her hand and kissed the top of the palm. The blonde smiled at the two and thanked Carmen once more before walking to the front door and opening it up, smiling when she felt the warm but cool air hit her face. Reaching back, she pulled up her long locks and tied them back into a ponytail as she walked down to the stables.

"A more concerned wife, huh?" Ann raised a curious eyebrow at her husband, sliding the newspaper back over in front of him. "Finish your breakfast, Dear. I'm sure the hands have a lot of work around here for you to help out with and supervise today." She sent an innocent smirk over in Bobby's general direction, giving him a quick kiss before returning her attention to her own breakfast to finish.

Finally reaching the stables after receiving many awkward looks from the workers, she smiled when she saw all the different horses. They were Emma's favorite animal. She loved everything about them; their free spirit, their beauty. Looking around, she found the one Ann rode the last time she came to the ranch and walked over, petting its nose. It was the prettiest one there, and she could see why her mother loved it so much. Reaching down into the bucket, she grabbed a carrot and held it to the horse's mouth, letting it eat before taking it out of stall and hooking a reign around her neck and grabbing a brush. Walking over to the fenced in area out front, she tied the horse to the fence and began to brush her coat gently and carefully.

Speeding up into the Ewing driveway, Harris stepped out of his lamborghini, practically slamming the door behind him. It didn't take him long to spot his daughter, glad to see that she was outside and alone. Without her mother and her negative influence around, maybe he would be able to actually talk some much needed sense into the young girl and convince her to return home with him, the one place where she truly belonged. Hurrying over towards her, Harris came to a stop on the side of the fence opposite Emma's. "I miss you, Emma." He started, ready to apologize for all of the pain he'd caused her ever since she'd been reunited with her mother. Whatever it took for him to get his little girl back, Harris was going to say and do it.

Hearing the car come down the driveway, she could feel her stomach drop. She didn't even have to turn around to find out who it was. She knew. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued to put all her attention on the horse, that way she would not have to look at the man as he got closer and closer to her. Hearing his opening line, she rolled her eyes as she continued to brush out the horse's coat and began to saddle her up.

Emma's eyeroll didn't go unnoticed by her father. He decided to ignore it for the time being, not about to allow his little plan to backfire on him when it had barely even gotten started. "Please come home with me, my darling girl. The house is unbearable without you in it." That much was true. Ever since Harris and Judith's little falling out, it really had been hell to live in such a big house with only his overbearing mother for company. He really did want Emma back to help make things sane again. "I promise I'll let you visit your mother as much as you want to." He quickly added in the last part for good measure, hoping it would help prove to his daughter that he was at least trying to come to terms with this newfound relationship she had with his ex-wife.

Emma laughed in disbelief as she watched her father's poor attempt to win her over, "Let me?" She scoffed, rolling her eyes again, she shook her head and sighed, "That's just the reason I can't come home, Daddy." She could feel her body getting worked up. Emma was terrified of the man in front of her at that moment, she didn't know what he might say or do, but she was more than happy the fence was between them.

All it took was hearing Emma's response for Harris to be able to tell that something was up. Something was off about his daughter. She normally wouldn't back talk him like that, not unless she hadn't been properly taking her medicine. He was about to question her about the issue when Ann came storming out the front door, making a beeline for her daughter and ex-husband. "I'm askin' you nicely, Harris, to get off this property before I call the police."

Harris smirked and shook his head as he leaned against the fence, "What are you gonna do, Annie? Shoot me? In front of our daughter?" He asked glancing over towards Emma who was nervously looking back and forth between the two adults. "What lies have you been telling Emma?"

Ann scoffed, purposely choosing to flat out ignore the first series of questions. "No more than you've been telling her for the past twenty years, that's for sure." The last thing Ann wanted to do right then was argue, especially with Harris of all people. And she certainly didn't want to do it right there in front of their daughter. She'd been working so hard to prove that she was the polar opposite of everything Emma had thought about her all those years. She didn't want veer off track and start erasing all of that hard work now. She couldn't. But Harris unfortunately had a way of pushing all the right buttons. He unfortunately had a way of messing with her head to the point where she sometimes went over the edge.

Harris laughed and shook his head as he looked at the woman he used to be married to, disgusted at her new wardrobe and sense of entitlement. "I lied to Emma to save her from you." He said as he turned and looked at the younger blonde, "Emma, where is your medication? Do you at least have it with you?" He asked knowing something was up.

Emma stood very still as the two argued back and forth. She felt so small in those few moments, and whenever she heard her father ask her the direct question, she had to think about it for a moment. Looking at Ann nervously, she bit her lower lip and nodded her head as she hid behind the horse a bit. "It's in my room.." She spoke as she could feel her breathing start to get heavy.

"So, you admit that you lied." Ann started, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her right ear as a small gust of wind attempted to blow it out of place. "Emma is old enough now to make decisions for herself, and it looks like she's chosen to stay here at Southfork. With time, I hope that you'll learn to respect that decision." She was doing her best to keep her cool, but it soon became harder than she thought when Harris brought up the prescription pill situation. She hadn't wanted it to all come out in the open like it was about to, but she really hadn't been left much choice. Emma was going to find out eventually.

"How long have you been forcing her to take those pills?" If looks could kill, Harris would be dead on the ground right then. "How long have you been using our daughter as your perfect little puppet who refuses to deny you and go against anything you say?" She shook her head back and forth, still wondering how someone could be so cruel and calculating when it came to their own child, the one person that they were supposed to love unconditionally and more than life itself.

"Oh god, Annie, you don't even know what you are talking about. You are delusional and should just keep your mouth shut. Emma's doctor gave those to her when her anxiety attacks became more sudden and frequent. Just because you were an addicted pill junkie doesn't mean our daughter is being forced into one." Harris said, shaking his head and laughing in disbelief. "Emma has never done anything she does not want to. She knows she is allowed to do whatever she wants." Harris shot a glance over at Emma before returning his attention back at Ann, "She needs them daily, or she is going to end up have an attack more than once a day."

Emma stood back near the horse, clinching the saddle, her eyes beginning to water as she listened to the bickering back and forth between her parents. There was no place to go, and she had just discovered that she might have been drugged all those years spent at her "home". Emma could hardly think straight. She knew the medication worked, she knew that for sure. She didn't know what else it did, but as her breathing began more and more difficult, she knew she'd need either her inhaler or some of the medication soon.

Ann's mouth dropped open, somewhat surprised to hear Harris attempting to push her that far. Well, at least in front of their daughter anyway. Behind closed doors, everything was fair game. In front of Emma though, she'd at least thought he'd keep some things between the two of them and only them, especially if he was as apologetic about everything that had come out in court as he was trying to make himself out to be. The wounded look on Emma's face was enough to stop Ann from her latest rebuttal, and she turned her attention from her ex-husband to their daughter. "Come on, Emma. Let's go back inside. We can tend to the horses in a little while." Ann made her way over to the gate, opening it up for her daughter to join her on the other side of the fence, but also making sure that she stood between the father and daughter pair, knowing fully well how Emma currently felt about Harris. Looking back over her shoulder, she kept her voice steady and firm. "Leave. Now."

Emma looked at her mother's face as she spoke directly towards her. She nodded her head up and down as tears escaped her eyes, and she gasped for a little air from the breath she'd been holding. Dropping the brush onto the ground, she wrapped her arms around her body and walked out of the gate slowly, shutting it behind her. She moved next to Ann, only to feel Harris' hand grab ahold of her arm and yank her back in his direction.

"Emma, darling, you need to take your pills. They will make you feel a lot better, and you will begin to see that you don't need to stay here. I'll take you home right now, and Grandmother and I will take good care of you." Harris spoke, pleading with his daughter to leave Southfork. The blonde cried out and gasped, shaking her head as she tried pulling away from his grip. "Dad, no!" Emma was having a full on panic attack now and needed her inhaler, with the whole situation going on and being terrified of the man who currently had her firm in his grasp, she felt trapped.

Heading towards the front door of the house, Ann came to a stop when she realized that Emma wasn't right beside her. Observing the small struggle between the two, she silently hoped that her husband would be able to hear her from inside the house. "Bobby Ewing, get out here right now!" Fortunately, she didn't have to tell him to bring the nearest gun out with him. After seven years, she knew he knew her well enough to know that with Harris around, it was almost an unspoken rule.

Hearing his wife's scream from outside, Bobby jumped from his chair in his office and opened up the drawer of his desk, pulling out a handgun and going to the door. Yanking it open, he saw Harris holding Emma who was clearly shaking, and he aimed at the fence post behind them, firing a warning shot. "Let her go, Harris. I have no problem shooting you for real this time." He spoke loudly as he kept the gun pointed directly at him.

Ann had been about to try and pry Emma away from Harris herself, but Bobby had fortunately arrived before things had to get even more physical than they already were. She looked back and forth between the two men, once again hoping against hope that her former husband would finally wave the white flag and surrender. At least for the time being anyway. Why couldn't he just see that enough was enough?

Harris looked at Emma and shook his head, "Why are you doing this, Emma? All I ever tried to do was be a good father, and you leave me for the woman who abandoned you." He asked before dropping her arm and looking over at Ann and Bobby. "This isn't over." He spoke loudly as he turned around and headed back towards his car.

Emma staggered back when her arm was dropped, and she put her hand on her throat as she tried to suck in as much air as possible. The best way to describe the feeling was if she had just ran a mile and was trying to breathe through a straw. She was very dizzy, and she kept walking backwards, hoping she didn't knock into anything or trip, just knowing the house was behind her.

"Goodbye, Harris." Ann spoke firmly, making her way over to Emma, who was clearly still upset over the entire situation that had just unfolded. She knew that Bobby would make sure Harris actually got into his car and drove off, so he was once again finally the least of her priorities. All she had to worry about now was calming her daughter down and making sure that she was alright, without any of her pills. Coming to a stop behind Emma, she cautiously steadied her once she had reached the front porch, not wanting to startle her like her father had only mere moments earlier. She could hear the heavy breathing as she guided the blonde inside. "Let's go get you that inhaler."

Bobby watched Harris until he was no longer in the driveway and walked down to the gate security, informing them that Harris was not to be allowed back onto the property. Emma held onto Ann for dear life as she made her way inside of the house, her arm bright red from her father's intense grip he had placed on her. Seeing the inhaler on the dresser in Ann and Bobby's room, she quickly grabbed it and began to inhale her medicine, holding onto the edge of the dresser as she bent over and began to catch her breath after two doses. Tears flowed out of her eyes as she began to sob loudly, covering her mouth with her hand.

Watching to make sure that the inhaler did its job and there wasn't anything more serious going on with her daughter's breathing troubles, Ann waited until she had couple of minutes to properly catch her breath before she spoke. "I'm sorry that you had to witness all of that out there." The words were barely out of her mouth before Emma was breaking down into a puddle of tears in front of her. "Emma, Sweetie." She pulled the blonde close, gently wrapping her arms around her. "Your father's gone, and he's not coming back. Trust me, Bobby will make sure of that. It's going to be alright. I'm not going to let him hurt you like that again." Ann vowed as her eyes fell upon the bright red handprint that marked Emma's forearm. She was going to make sure it was the last time Harris had a chance to hurt their daughter, not only physically but emotionally as well. Ann ran a hand soothingly up and down the blonde's back, determined not to pull away from the hug until her daughter had cried all of the tears she felt she needed to cry.


End file.
